Third Session, 42nd Parliament

(2022) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Monday, March 7, 2022

Morning Sitting

Issue No. 165

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

CONTENTS

Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

A stronger B.C.

M. Dykeman

L. Doerkson

Ethical LNG

E. Ross

R. Russell

Our future, together

K. Greene

M. Bernier

International Women’s Day

C. Oakes

R. Singh

Private Members’ Motions

Motion 5 — International Women’s Day and freedom

from gender-based discrimination

G. Lore

S. Bond

J. Brar

M. Lee

H. Yao

G. Kyllo

B. Bailey

T. Wat

M. Starchuk

R. Merrifield

J. Routledge

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022

The House met at 10:03 a.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: D. Coulter.

[10:05 a.m.]

Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

A STRONGER B.C.

M. Dykeman: It’s a privilege to rise in the House today to talk about the path

that we are on towards a stronger British Columbia.

These past few years have been so challenging, with fires, floods,

heat domes and a pandemic, but despite all of that, a stronger British

Columbia is being built. A stronger B.C. means economic opportunity for

all, inclusive opportunities, while supporting sustainable growth and a

resilient economy.

British Columbia is a beautiful province and has been an economic

leader through the pandemic. Our stunning scenery, temperate climate and

our geographic location as the westernmost province makes us a most

desirable place to live, work, play and raise a family.

[J. Tegart in the chair.]

In the first nine months of 2021, nearly 85,000 people arrived in

British Columbia from across Canada and around the world. This is the

largest net migration in 28 years. With more than 1 million job openings

forecasted over the next ten years, British Columbia needs to make sure

that more people get the skills and supports they need to enter the

workforce so that our province can keep pace with demand.

Two recent announcements by the government have demonstrated how

our province is on the right path to realize the vision of a stronger,

cleaner and more inclusive British Columbia, a province that offers

opportunity for all, a place that provides opportunities for a strong

economy for everyone.

The Stronger British Columbia economic plan and the InBC work

together towards this vision, providing a road map for success. Stronger

B.C. recognizes that people are B.C.’s most important asset. This plan

was created after extensive consultation, and what came out of those

conversations was that it was really important for British Columbians to

see a long-term plan that recognizes that economic growth needs to be

shared by all.

The Stronger B.C. plan takes a renewed approach to tackling issues

while growing an inclusive economy. For instance, this plan takes an

important step of measuring well-being indicators, like the amount of

affordable housing and post-secondary seats, as opposed to only looking

at the GDP. As we look to the future, we know that the world is rapidly

changing and that we need to keep pace with that. Steps in this plan

include closing the skills gap with a comprehensive strategy to make

sure that British Columbians have the right skills and jobs for the

future.

For example, creating new tech-relevant spaces in public

post-secondary institutions and expanding student seats in

high-opportunity sectors like health care, high tech, life sciences and

agritech; building resilient communities with modern infrastructure,

like key economic infrastructure — roads, bridges, transit — across

British Columbia that have unfortunately been ignored too long by

previous governments; by adding value and jobs in B.C.’s abundant

natural resource sector and investing in new clean technologies;

reducing barriers by investing in child care; and making sure everyone

in every community has access to high-speed Internet.

The plan recognizes that we need a people-powered economy,

supporting Indigenous post-secondary institutes and skills training,

creating more graduate scholarships and internships for innovation,

establishing a digital service hub so that British Columbians can more

easily access education and training for in-demand jobs, expanding

training for health care workers.

We saw during the pandemic how important it is to have those

health care workers there, working hard every day. Investing in

infrastructure that helps build tomorrow’s workforce, including a new

world-class trades and technology complex on the BCIT campus, and

expanding support programs to help workers and First Nations and

communities through the economic transition.

I’m thrilled to see that the budget reflects that commitment,

allocating to support the Stronger B.C. economic plan and its goals of

inclusive, clean growth — building a better province for people and

families. In building the Stronger B.C. plan, our government recognizes

the importance that the private sector plays in the role of a strong

economy, innovation and opportunity for all.

I’m thrilled to have a few minutes to talk about this part of the

long-term vision, as Tuesday, March 8, is International Women’s Day, and

InBC really embodies the commitment of a more inclusive economy. The

InBC Investment Corp. is a $500 million strategic investment fund with a

mandate to help promising companies grow, while generating returns that

benefit all British Columbians. InBC is led by women in a male-dominated

industry. They have a female board chair, CEO and CIO.

[10:10 a.m.]

Vancouver Tech Journal recently spoke about this, saying

that InBC is one of the largest investment funds in Canada, shepherded

by women in an industry dominated by men. They are striving for a triple

bottom line, establishing B.C. as a globally competitive, low-carbon

jurisdiction and promoting values that make life better for people in

British Columbia, including job creation, advancing reconciliation with

Indigenous peoples, promoting diversity and inclusion, and achieving a

financial return on investment.

The CIO, Leah Nguyen, recently announced — she’s starting

effective April 4 — she will be leaving her current role as director at

the Telus pollinator for good fund, and she also brings experience from

her roles as a management consultant and project manager at Lululemon

Athletica.

CEO Jill Earthy was brought in, in December 2021, and she says

that InBC’s vision to create a world-class, sustainable and inclusive

recovery for the province is inspiring. Her previous experience includes

CEO of WeBC and chief growth officer from the FrontFundr. She was named

one of Vancouver Magazine ’s Power 50 and a community champion

by the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion.

The nine-member board is led by Chair Christine Bergeron, who is

the president and CEO of Vancity. This is a power board, coming together

to create something fantastic for British Columbia.

The StrongerBC plan, coupled with InBC, recognizes the changing

landscape of our economy, and consequently, the increase in demand for

skilled workers to meet these demands for the jobs of tomorrow. I

appreciate the forward-looking approach that these plans take, balancing

supporting people, industry and our environment to lay out a road map to

a cleaner, more inclusive and economically strong future for

B.C.

As we come out of these past challenging few years, recognizing

that there will no doubt be challenges ahead, I’m confident the future

is bright for our province and for all British Columbians.

L. Doerkson: Thank you to the member opposite for her comments this morning.

I’m sure that we can both agree wholeheartedly that we want to see our

province thrive, that we want to see our economy strengthen and our

people successful and cared for.

I’m sure it also may come as no surprise that we may have

differing opinions on the path that we take to get there. The member

opposite, for example, believes that the StrongerBC economic plan is the

best route to get to where we need to go as a province, and I would

respectfully disagree with that assertion.

There’s no doubt that there is a great deal of work that needs to

be done to improve the lives of people in British Columbia. Right now

British Columbia is facing an unprecedented affordability crisis. The

cost of housing, gas and groceries is higher than ever. People are

having difficulty finding good jobs or keeping their businesses open.

Nearly half of the people say that they are $200 or less away from being

able to pay their bills at the end of the month.

And what about natural disasters? As we experience the growing

impacts of climate change, we see still worsening wildfire seasons,

spring floods and other extreme weather events. How do we ensure that we

are putting the right resources into preventing and preparing for these

events so that we aren’t always left to deal with the long and difficult

recovery periods on the other side?

A stronger B.C. will be one that doesn’t just respond more

effectively to environmental crisis but actively listens to the voices

on the ground when it comes to developing and implementing our

prevention and miti­gation strategies.

A stronger B.C. is also a more connected B.C. We cannot forget the

importance of not just Internet connectivity but also improving the

transportation networks, especially when it comes to roadways and

transit services in rural British Columbia. What this province really

needs are steps forward and long-term plans that we are still not

seeing.

First and foremost, we need a solid plan to address the rising

cost of living, from housing to gas prices. This is not just an issue in

the Lower Mainland but something that is impacting every single corner

of this province, including my constituency of

Cariboo-Chilcotin.

[10:15 a.m.]

We also need a plan to make B.C. the best place to do business in

Canada, both by reducing red tape and increasing confidence. We need to

become a competitive jurisdiction once again. We need to attract

investment and grow our economy.

This will happen not just through cutting red tape, which is

certainly vital, but also through the implementation of a plan for tax

relief for struggling businesses, especially from the employer health

tax and the property tax. After two long and difficult years, our

businesses are finding it harder than ever to get by. We need to provide

them with relief so that they can grow and thrive, creating good jobs

and supporting our communities.

We are also witnessing the clear need for a comprehen­sive

health human resources strategy to address our nurse, doctor and

paramedic shortages throughout the province. Our health care system has

been under incredible strain over the last few years. The COVID-19

pandemic turned an already stretched system into one that is now

incredibly overwhelmed, and we need to be taking real steps to recruit,

train and retain our health care professionals. This is about the health

of our province, and we cannot say we are creating a stronger B.C. if

ensuring access to reliable, quality health care is not part of our

plan.

As we move out of this pandemic and forward as a province, we have

to make sure that we know what issues matter most. We must pursue those

solutions. British Columbians deserve to know that all of us in this

chamber are committed to improving not only just B.C. as a whole but

also the individual lives of everyday people. They need to see that we

are prioritizing the issues that impact them every single day.

Hopefully, this government chooses to make that a reality.

M. Dykeman: Thank you to the member opposite for their comments.

I’m just going to pick up where I left off, talking about the

great new story of leadership and the fact that, as I mentioned, we are

a day ahead of International Women’s Day.

Women like Leah Nguyen, Jill Earthy and Christine Bergeron are

also part of a broader cultural shift in the way that we talk about

gender in managing money. Women are underrepresented in professional

investing. A 2019 study by the Knight Foundation revealed that women

make up only 8 percent of professional investors. There’s a lack of

racial diversity too.

Another interesting fact that I have read recently. The Starling

Bank had analyzed 300 investing articles. The rhetoric for women: “Stop

shopping so much.” For men: “Take risks.”

In these articles, women were defined as excessive spenders across

65 percent of the articles, and 71 percent of articles told women to

save by couponing or bargain-hunting, which is really disappointing to

see at this time. They advised women to limit, restrict and take better

control of their shopping splurges. Men were encouraged to dare to

invest and told that financial success would make them more of a man.

This has the implicit assumption that women shop while men do

stocks.

Seeing this shift and seeing this leadership within a plan,

looking at a stronger British Columbia, recognizing that we need to have

an inclusive province where we don’t have percentages — whether racial

or gender or poverty — marginalized, looking at the whole picture is

what will build our economy to be stronger in the future.

I know that we’ve seen this shift everywhere. We’ve seen a change

in the world. I’m immensely proud to be part of the first governing

caucus in Canadian history to have a majority of women, and this

chamber, on both sides of the House, has trailblazers. We have

professors, women in STEM, lawyers, scientists, medical professors,

farmers. We have people who have served in academia. We have people who

have headed up not-for-profits.

This chamber and this government recognize that we have achieved

this within this building. We need a StrongerBC plan that allows more

people….

I know I stood on the shoulders of the women that came ahead of

me, and we need to see that translated out into the population so that

all people, like our children, our grandchildren and our

great-grandchildren, have equal opportunity to lead a stronger, more

resilient, more inclusive economy for British Columbia.

[10:20 a.m.]

ETHICAL LNG

E. Ross: The events happening in Europe are changing the world in real

time. We’re experiencing the effects over here in B.C., because it’s

undeniable that there is an energy crisis going on. It’s not due to a

shortage of potential energy.

We, as British Columbians, need to help to bridge the gap that our

international partners are currently facing. We know Vladimir Putin will

continue to threaten and try to hold European democracies hostage by

withholding energy supplies for years to come.

In B.C., we’re in a position to help address this. We recognize

these projects take time, and we can’t do it overnight. But the current

Russian threat isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. We need to be ramping

up our ability to export liquefied natural gas in a focused way and

replace the energy that Europe was previously accessing and reduce their

dependence on Russia’s energy.

British Columbia has a chance to be a world leader in helping

bridge this energy gap. We have access to a transitional resource that

will aid our international partners, but failure to act on this now

could be an incredibly missed opportunity for our province and the

success of our partners around the world.

It takes strong and resourceful leadership to support these

projects, as elected First Nation leaders have done from all across B.C.

since 2004. We must realize that British Columbia is limited in what we

can do and what’s within our jurisdiction. Providing access to our

energy supply, which we are blessed with, is one major thing that we can

do that could make a considerable impact for decades to come.

When we consider taking action, talking about doing so is not

enough. We all stand up and say that we support the incredibly brave

people of Ukraine, but other free democratic countries are doing

otherwise. British Columbians, including First Nations, are ready to

provide much more than their sentiments and sympathy in condoning the

current actions of Russia.

One obvious step we can take is the expansion of the export of our

abundant LNG, a transitional energy source that can reduce Europe’s

dependency on Russia. We know, as per signed agreements, B.C. First

Nations already support energy projects, including oil, gas and

renewables. However, we ask what the government is prepared to do to

demonstrate that they will take active steps to support democracies and

freedom.

The message we must send to Vladimir Putin isn’t going to be

delivered with an empty vodka bottle. It’s going to be delivered with

plentiful and clean LNG, which will ultimately reduce his capacity to

intimidate democracies. The reality is that if B.C. doesn’t show

leadership, we could be looking at more global consumption of coal

instead of LNG as a cleaner, ethical transitional fuel.

Gas analysts from Wood Mackenzie say that as Russia disrupts the

gas supply, competition for LNG from Europe would force countries like

Japan and China to burn more coal and only further the climate

emergency. We face a long-term challenge, and countries around the world

are looking for a safe transitional fuel. Again, we know that Europe

doesn’t want to get it from Russia. B.C. can be a leader in this

transition by providing a secure source of clean and ethical

LNG.

If the B.C. government wants to get serious about the grave

situation facing Europe and the world, there are options at its

disposal. Two major energy companies, BP and Shell, have already made

the enormous decision to cancel energy investments with Russia — $3

billion alone for just two companies. This will add to the energy

deficit that the globe is currently seeing.

Countries around the world are already taking active steps to

address this threat, and they’re doing that by accelerating LNG

development and production. The global liquefied natural gas industry is

already close to producing its limits, and they can’t currently produce

anymore. But here in B.C., we have a huge source of clean, safe, ethical

LNG, clean LNG, which is still untapped. Even the United States declares

that B.C. LNG is clean.

It’s a shame that B.C. has multiple projects on the books waiting

for permits. It’s not one or two but seven LNG projects that are waiting

for permits here in B.C., all at a time when countries around the world

are crying out for a secure source of clean and ethical LNG as an

alterna­tive to dirty coal.

Nisg̱a’a LNG, Woodfibre LNG,

Haisla Cedar LNG, Chevron’s KLNG, Skeena LNG, Totem LNG and Port Edward

LNG are all waiting for permits.

[10:25 a.m.]

As you know, Madam Speaker, energy is a topic that is close to my

heart, especially when talking about British Columbia, energy dependence

and affordability. It’s why I got into politics in first place. As we’ve

seen it play out here in B.C., LNG started in Kitimat with First

Nations, which was an import facility in 2004 but was changed to an

export terminal as new technology emerged across North America. This

truly did have the potential to change everything in B.C.

This was especially true for our progressive First Nations who

could see themselves being included in the B.C. economy for the first

time. But first, government and First Nations had to learn how to work

out our issues together, and from 2004 to 2017, we made incredible

progress that’s still benefiting B.C. today. It was a great time, and

those positive results are actually benefiting many British Columbians

today.

I am urging this government to consider what more we can do as

British Columbia to contribute to the prosperity and continuing success

that LNG has afforded us within our own province and how we can support

our global partners in this time of uncertainty and crisis.

R. Russell: To be honest, I’m astounded that the member, again, has mentioned

the heart-wrenching situation in the Ukraine, and I’m absolutely

disappointed in the use of a humanitarian catastrophe on the world stage

as a rationale to play politics over caring for people.

The people of B.C. will not be hoodwinked into believing that

somehow this egregious act that Putin has engaged in and initiated is a

rationale to ignore our duty to our people for due process for

investment, for permitting and for construction of projects like these.

The current high price of LNG doesn’t excuse us from the need to move

forward safely and transparently and retain our commitments to our

climate action objectives.

Other than that, thank you to the member opposite for his

statement and for the chance to respond. I’m pleased to know that we do

share a common objective, being economic prosperity for rural British

Columbia. However, where we differ, I believe, is that from what I hear

from the opposition, their vision for economic prosperity differs rather

dramatically on two fronts.

One, because it is limited to just that — financial prosperity at

the expense of our social integrity, at the expense of our environmental

health and, perhaps most importantly for the member opposite, for the

expense of our long-term economic health. We care about sustainable

employment, social cohesion and environmental functioning as well as

revenue. These are not mutually exclusives, but it does take a little

creative thought to get us there. And two, because it is built on a

decades-, even centuries-old model of what economic development looks

like, focused on chasing smokestacks.

Since the onset of the industrial age, communities have been

regularly getting hoodwinked by this shortsighted vision, enticed by

glossy sales campaigns that promise….

Deputy Speaker: Excuse me, Member. I’d ask you to withdraw the word “hoodwinked.”

I ruled it out of order last week, and I would ask you to withdraw it at

this time.

R. Russell: Even if, Madam Speaker, I’m referring to communities?

Deputy Speaker: I would ask you to withdraw the comment.

R. Russell: I will withdraw.

Deputy Speaker: Thank you.

I would remind members that this is the non-partisan part of the

morning.

R. Russell: Thank you.

Our vision is broader than the narrow and short-term political

wins. That’s why we have a strong commitment to climate action through

our CleanBC Roadmap, a road map that, for the record, is expected to

generate 18,000 direct and spinoff jobs, jobs with good return

financially, socially and environmentally.

I would note that my part of the world is rural, rooted in

resource extraction, mining, forestry, agriculture, and so on. Things

like the high cost of fuel do hit us hard because driving almost

anywhere means that we have to go up and over mountains to get to the

services we need. But we’ve also seen very explicitly that the costs of

inaction on climate are painful. The expense of ignoring climate action

comes with enormous personal, social and financial costs that we are all

struggling to shoulder. We are exhausted from the floods, fires, heat

and droughts that are costing us too much.

The opportunity for financial wealth right now cannot come at the

risk of having our communities wash down the river or burnt down again.

So it is critical that, as has been said, we will not abandon our

climate commitments, and we will not cut corners on the environmental

assessments that protect people, land and water. These processes are in

place for the sake of all of us, including our neighbours, communities

and, indeed, our children’s children.

[10:30 a.m.]

The member for Skeena has previously discussed how he cares about

sustainable employment and financial reconciliation. I’m pleased, since

this is, again, something that we agree on. Where we differ, perhaps, is

the time frame.

If we want forward-looking and effective economic independence for

First Nations, if we want good jobs for our children’s children in a

world that is safe and secure, then all indicators are that future LNG

expansion isn’t the answer.

Look to exemplary First Nations action like what we’ve seen with

the Osoyoos Indian Band. I’m sure you’ve heard stories of the good work

that Chief Clarence Louie and his team are doing there, investing in

tourism, agriculture, small business, forestry, cannabis, energy

utilities. These are the kinds of projects that provide good and

sustainable jobs, diversified and resilient revenue lines and economic

independence, and they don’t destroy natural and social capital to

create that wealth.

We should be talking about what the people of Kitimat or Lytton or

Princeton or Okanagan Falls want to see their economy and their culture

and their community look like in ten years or 20 years and be working

towards that together.

The long-term forecasts from industry that I see for future LNG

development don’t look particularly rosy. In contrast, I see our

government’s investments into the actual human capital of our province

as extremely promising, investments in the skills and structures to help

individuals thrive in their rural communities for generations to come

without huge environmental price tags. Clean tech, skills training,

agriculture ingenuity, health care, bioeconomy — the list goes

on.

E. Ross: It’s quite contradictory to hear the member’s statements,

especially when you consider this NDP government got rid of the LNG

tax.

Interjections.

E. Ross: His whole bloody speech was partisan. Excuse me.

Deputy Speaker: I would remind the member that this is the non-partisan part of

the morning. Thank you.

E. Ross: Okay. Well, can we look at the record, Madam Speaker, where LNG

Canada got the biggest PST tax break in B.C. history? It’s the record.

They got a carbon tax cap at $30 a tonne, and they don’t pay LNG

tax.

If we’re not looking at expanding the LNG industry in B.C., why

are these seven projects awaiting permits in British Columbia, including

First Nation projects? Why can’t we be honest with them and just say

there’s no appetite to expand LNG in B.C.? Otherwise, they’re spending

incredible amounts of money and time, especially at a period when Europe

is actually facing an energy crisis.

German residents are paying five times more for their energy price

than they were last year and the year before. Germany is dependent on

Russia, Russian energy, to the point now where they want to fast-track

two LNG terminals to start accepting LNG from around the world. B.C. has

an opportunity to address that. In fact, we can fast-track the full 26

million tonnes originally proposed by LNG Canada, but currently it’s

only approved for six tonnes annually. Four trains of 26 million tonnes

can help the energy crisis.

These points do not even begin to encompass the full scope and

potential for this industry in B.C. and our global partners. This is an

area that has always been dismissed previously by this NDP government,

and now we find out that this government has no intention of expanding

the LNG industry, based on the member’s comments. This goes back to a

time when the Premier also said, in 2015: “I would stop spending all my

time talking about an industry that’s going nowhere and instead look at

those areas of the B.C. economy that are really thriving.”

Contrary to the opinion of members from across the aisle there, we

need to realize that LNG is most definitely an industry that is full of

potential and can make a real difference in the lives of Indigenous

people, British Columbians and our partners across the globe. It is time

to lead this industry forward and do our

part in addressing the global

energy crisis and stand up to Russia together. We know that this is an

urgent matter. We also know LNG can be successful in bringing prosperous

communities and fostering fuel efforts.

By the way, we are not all in this together currently. We are not

standing with our allies in Europe if we continue to stop LNG projects

here in B.C. We can be in all this together, but we’ve got to ramp up

our LNG potential.

OUR FUTURE, TOGETHER

K. Greene: I recognize that I am speaking on the traditional territories of

the Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ people — in

particular, the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations.

[10:35 a.m.]

There is a lot of grief in this world, and at times, it can be

overwhelming. It seems as if time passes and new tragedies unfold,

causing suffering and heartbreak for all those affected, and because we

are all connected, we feel grief for those we have never met and will

never meet.

Young people are acutely feeling this grief. The world is in

turmoil, housing and employment can be challenging, and the biggest

threat of all looms on the horizon — climate change. If we don’t act

collectively and decisively, every place on earth will feel its

devastating effects. No place will be spared.

The most recent IPCC report says that our window to save our

future is nearly closed. The leading end of climate change is already

here. In B.C., we faced multiple natural disasters, which were greatly

amplified by the effects of climate change. Warmer air temperatures

allow for atmospheric rivers that can carry devastating amounts of

precipitation. Longer, drier and hotter summers have resulted in

unprecedented forest fires and heat domes.

Catastrophic weather events are happening around the world. Those

affected first and worst are always the most vulnerable, and that’s

almost always women and children. I think that’s why we’re seeing young

women and girls take their place at the front of climate movements

worldwide, effectively organizing people in response to climate threats

and catalyzing local action to address climate change.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Gender equality

today for a sustainable tomorrow.” UN Women states: “With the latest

data, we now understand the vital link between gender, social equity and

climate change, and recognize that without gender equality today, a

sustainable future, an equal future, is out of reach.”

Working together, we can solve the problems of today with

solutions that also make necessary strides towards a clean, green future

that doesn’t leave anyone behind. That is important. A better future for

all must mean a better future for all.

Here in B.C., we are a North American climate leader, fighting

climate change through our CleanBC plan. Because we put people at the

centre of everything that we do, our climate action doesn’t start and

end in one ministry.

We’re planning for the jobs of the future and ensuring people get

the skills they need to be successful and support their families. This

means accelerating skills training opportunities for red seal automotive

technicians to learn the skills needed to work on EVs, which is

important because B.C. is a leader in the adoption of EVs. Just last

year 13 percent of all new light-duty vehicles sold in B.C. were

zero-emission.

We’re investing more than ever in expanding high-speed Internet to

more rural, remote and First Nations communities in B.C. Access to

high-speed Internet ensures that people are able to access better

services and educational and economic opportunity. High-speed Internet

helps diversify rural economies and provides a better quality of life

for families.

The B.C. Wildfire Service is moving to a year-round service model

that will incorporate prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and

recovery. Many of the communities that need year-round wildfire service

are rural, so this will keep good jobs in local communities at the same

time as addressing safety and climate needs.

Madam Speaker, as you can see, effective climate action requires

all of us working together to make our world a better place to live.

CleanBC and the Roadmap to 2030 set the sectoral targets that will keep

us on track to reduce emissions and fight climate change.

We are fortunate to live here in B.C., which has unparalleled

natural beauty. We care deeply about protecting our natural environment

for generations to come and want our children to have a better life than

we ourselves did.

In B.C., our climate action isn’t limited to our borders. When

other jurisdictions see that we’re making real progress in the fight

against climate change and that our economy is vibrant and inclusive at

the same time, they’re going to copy our homework, which is great. It’s

time for B.C. to lead, as we’ve already done with CleanBC, and continue

to add to that solid foundation.

We are the envy of many places with our nearly 99 percent

carbon-free electricity. Decarbonization by substituting fossil fuels

with electricity is an opportunity for B.C. Businesses are adapting

their processes and experimenting with solutions to reduce their climate

impact. Our entrepreneurs are hard at work, bringing new technologies to

market that can be used to reduce greenhouse gases and fossil fuel

consumption here and in the rest of the world.

Most cities face three major sources of emissions: transportation,

buildings and industry. We’re taking action to tackle all three in

CleanBC. The result will be reduced emissions, good family-supporting

jobs and more comfortable and more comfortable and equitable places to

live.

[10:40 a.m.]

Existing building stock is not very energy efficient, so we’re

providing grants and other incentives to adopt climate solutions like

heat pumps. Decreasing our demand for fossil fuels creates independence

for consumers against the fluctuation of fossil fuel commodity

markets.

B.C.’s green electricity is abundant, and First Nations in B.C.

are getting off of diesel generators, which are expen­sive and

generate GHGs, and onto solar electricity. These projects are celebrated

by First Nations as important milestones in their economic independence

as well as ensuring the comfort of community members and protecting the

environment.

Transportation is also a major source of carbon emissions, with

the worst culprits being single-occupancy vehicles. That’s why it’s so

important that active transportation and rapid transportation is

included in every transportation upgrade like the Pattullo Bridge and

Massey corridor, especially considering the longevity of the built

environment.

Industry may have some of the hardest emissions to reduce.

Transitioning to B.C.’s carbon-free electricity can present a challenge

when the solution hasn’t been invented yet. To that end, the B.C.

industry fund is an important part of the support offered to businesses

to accelerate the transition from take-make-waste to a circular

strategy.

There is no single solution to climate change. It requires us to

act with urgency, intensity and empathy. Why empathy? Because we are all

in this together. Our collective climate successes that leave no one

behind will be our legacy.

M. Bernier: I want to thank the member for bringing this topic forward today:

a future together. It’s an important topic.

I think one of the things we need to highlight when we talk about

a future together is we’re not talking about…. Especially with climate

change, there’s no bubble over just British Columbia. I think everybody

can acknowledge that this is a global issue, and it needs a global

solution.

For those that have been fortunate enough to travel around the

world to different parts, they will see the difference between British

Columbia and other parts of the world that are still burning fossil

fuels, that are still trying to figure out how to get off of coal. In

British Columbia, although we are doing an amazing job here and have

been for over a decade, we want to continue being leaders in this file.

There’s no argument with that.

I remember over ten years ago, I was fortunate enough to travel

down into the United States to talk about the great leadership that

British Columbia had at that time in the climate action file and to be

able to talk about the work that we were doing as government over ten

years ago. We were, at that time, already the envy of so many

jurisdictions around North America, because people were trying to

convert off of coal.

People were trying to convert to natural gas. They were looking at

British Columbia and saying how fortunate we were to have 98 percent of

our electric supply coming in from hydroelectricity, which is basically

clean, green energy. So how fortunate are we already and have been for a

long time here in British Columbia.

I think it’s important to highlight, again, the opportunities that

we have in this province to help other jurisdictions in the world. We

heard my colleague earlier talk about LNG exports and how we can help

other jurisdictions. You look at China, which is building every week a

new coal-fired power plant, and we can help them. Are we? No. But we can

do better.

The member talked about the natural disasters. Those have hit so

many of us hard. It’s important that we address the issues at a

community level, at a provincial level and nationally. I remember, as a

former mayor, some of the policies that we brought forward to make sure

that we were helping our municipalities do our part. We need to continue

encouraging our local governments to find ways that they can do their

part to help in this climate challenge.

When you look at British Columbia right now, our future is going

to be built on the next generation. I think we all know that. But our

next generation is struggling right now with affordability. If we want

to keep that generation here, if we want to keep them in British

Columbia, we need to tackle more than just climate change. We need to

tackle all of the affordability issues that are going to help the next

generation, the new people that are going to build our province so they

can stay in this province.

I do commend the member for bringing up a lot of the topics. I

mean, we look at EV vehicles. I think that’s an important topic. But I

also want to remind everybody in this House that the province is a

large, diverse place and that to set a policy that might work for

Richmond or for Vancouver might not work for a lot of parts of rural

British Columbia. We need to remember that we have to be careful on the

policies that we create, although everybody wants to do their

job.

[10:45 a.m.]

Not everybody is fortunate enough to be driving around a Mercedes

G-Class. Some people are fortunate enough that they have a job up north

where they have to actually drive a large pickup truck. We cannot start

putting policies in, as grandiose as it might sound, that everybody is

going to be in an electric vehicle. Do we want to encourage it?

Absolutely. But to mandate it as a necessity will be impossible for most

people in this province.

Our future together means understanding the people of British

Columbia, understanding our geographical differences and having a

government that’s willing to acknowledge that and have policies that

recognize that. We cannot have a cookie-cutter approach on issues that

affect everybody differently.

Although I do want to say that our future together…. I would hope

it’s very, very bright, as long as we recognize the challenges that are

in front of us around affordability, around industry and around climate

change.

I appreciate the member bringing this topic forward, but I also

want to acknowledge that it’s a large issue, a global issue. Are we

going to do our part? Absolutely. But we can’t have our heads in the

sand and not recognize that this is a larger issue that needs to be

addressed.

K. Greene: The old ways of doing business are undergoing remarkable

transformation. Business analysts expect that public companies will soon

be required to disclose climate risks of their businesses on regular

report filings. Investors and stakeholders are demanding credible plans

to achieve net-zero emissions.

Globally, there is a massive shift of capital from traditional

industries that rely on the take-make-waste linear system of production

to businesses that are pursuing a circular economic strategy. Instead of

being stranded in the past and suffering the bumps and bruises of being

dragged into the new economy, we are choosing to boldly go into the

future and seize the opportunity offered by sustainable economic growth.

Every British Columbian will benefit from an economy and society that is

resilient, equitable and green.

We know that B.C. is spectacularly beautiful and that we are

caretakers responsible for ensuring that future generations see the same

spectacular, mist-shrouded peaks and valleys that we do. B.C. is also a

place filled with brilliant and innovative people who are tackling the

climate crisis by creating solutions that give us opportunity and hope.

Our clean and tech sectors have a global reputation, and of the 13

Canadian companies that made the most recent Global Cleantech 100 list,

more than half are headquartered in B.C.

One of those is Burnaby-based Svante, which is working with

Lafarge Cement in Richmond to develop a carbon-capture system that will

reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The system will capture and purify the

cement flue gas and reuse it. It’s just one example of how tackling the

climate crisis drives innovation and new opportunities for people in the

clean economy.

In the zero-emissions vehicle sector, B.C. leads in North America

in electric vehicle uptake. We’re now well beyond the targets in CleanBC

and on the path to 90 percent of all new sales being zero emissions by

2030. B.C.’s electric vehicle sector is delivering jobs and significant

economic opportunities, with nearly 275 companies and organizations in

B.C. working on all aspects of the EV sector. These companies employ

about 6,300 people and generate more than $1 billion in economic

output.

We all recognize that we need to tackle the climate crisis by

reducing our emissions and moving to cleaner technologies. The good news

is that this transition will mean substantial new jobs for people in our

communities. So 2050 feels like it’s a long way away, but it’s only 28

years away. In less time than I’ve been alive, we must meet the

challenge of our time and build an inclusive economy and a society that

is resilient and sustainable.

As the saying goes, the only constant in life is change. There is

tremendous opportunity for us to seize in this time of change. Working

together, British Columbians can accomplish anything. Our future

together is bright.

[10:50 a.m.]

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

C. Oakes: I’m grateful to have the opportunity to rise in this House today

to discuss the need for equal pay in British Columbia.

Tomorrow is International Women’s Day, and this is a time to

celebrate women’s and girls’ achievements in British Columbia and around

the world, and for all of us to unite in our progress towards gender

equality. Whether it be in the workplace, in schools, communities, women

play a vital role in shaping our province, and they deserve respect and

equal opportunity.

It is truly remarkable the impacts that women have made in our

province in the face of systemic gender issues. Women in our province

continue to fight discrimination and challenging stereotypes while

paving the way for future generations of female leaders.

While we reflect on the important contributions women have made,

there is something that we all must do and not celebrate, and that is

the undeniable, unfair practice of unequal pay. B.C. has the largest pay

gap in Canada and is one of only four provinces without pay equity

legislation in Canada. Women in British Columbia make, on average, 18.6

percent less than men. This means that for every hour that a woman works

in British Columbia, she earns $5.90 less than a man would. This is on

average.

We must also consider the intersectional experiences of women in

the workforce. Indigenous, racialized and newcomer women and women with

disabilities experience an even greater pay gap.

This pay gap has persisted despite the incredible educational

achievements of women in this province. According to Statistics Canada,

women in British Columbia now surpass men in obtaining post-secondary

degrees. Of post-secondary graduates in 2019, 56.4 percent were female.

Fields of study like health, education, social and behavioural sciences

and law saw a large majority of female students. More than 40,000 bright

and ambitious women graduate with post-secondary degrees

yearly.

Despite this, women continue to be underrepresented and underpaid.

Women who receive bachelor degrees in British Columbia earn, on average,

$62,000 annually. Men with bachelor degrees, on the other hand, earn on

average $86,000 annually.

As the official opposition critic for Advanced Education, I’d like

to highlight how the pay gap is reflected in our post-secondary

institutions. Women represent only 32.6 percent of the faculty in

British Columbia’s post-secondary institutions. Again, this is despite

women having the majority representation among the enrolled

students.

Within tenured faculty positions, men disproportionately hold the

coveted positions of full professor, while women often hold assistant

and associate professor positions. Female professors make, at best, 95

percent of what male professors do. This is a pay gap that cannot be

explained by age and rank alone and exists even at the highest level of

full professor.

We all know this pay gap exists, because the data exists. Salary

disclosure was legislated for public sector wages in 1996, and since

then, the pay gap has narrowed by 30 to 40 percent. We still have more

work to do, and there are many things that we need to do to address

support for women in the workforce, but this narrowing of the pay gap

would not have been possible without pay transparency. It is now time to

bring pay transparency to all sectors and industries. If we do not know

the extent of pay inequality, we cannot begin bridging this

gap.

Moms at Work is a Canadian organization that advo­cates for

women in the workforce. They launched an online job board that requires

all job postings to fully disclose the salary range for the position.

Allison Venditti, the founder of Moms at Work, said: “We’ve been talking

about the wage gap since forever and a day, and this is one of the

fastest ways to help to fix that.”

International Women’s Day is an important time to celebrate and

reflect on the contributions of women, but we must strive for gender

equality every day. Five times my colleague the member for Surrey South

has introduced the Equal Pay Reporting Act in this Legislature to bring

pay transparency to British Columbia. This act would require businesses

to report out the pay gap between male and female employees.

[10:55 a.m.]

is now required for federally regulated workplaces with more than 100

employees to publicly disclose wage gap data for women, Indigenous

people, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. As

one of the only provinces left without pay equity legislation, I would

like to see this House come together and take collective

action.

If the pandemic has shown us anything over the past two years, it

is the deep inequalities within our society and our economy. The

pandemic has disproportionately impacted women, and the challenges that

previously existed for women have only been exacerbated. We know that

women have played leading roles in the efforts against

COVID-19.

I hope that we can emerge from the pandemic with a more equal

society and an economy that celebrates and respects the contributions of

women in this province. Women deserve better. It’s clearer than ever

that we must take action now, and that starts with closing the pay

gap.

R. Singh: I would really like to thank the member for Cariboo North for

bringing such an important topic. For more than a century, people have

been celebrating women in the world on March 8. It is my deep honour to

celebrate the many women, girls, two-spirit people and non-binary people

in our province.

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to cele­brate

how far we have come in our fight for gender equity. Gender stereotypes

are being challenged, and diverse representation of women is more

evident. Investments in child care are helping parents, especially

women, build a good life and grow their careers. But today is also an

opportunity to reflect on how much more work we need to do.

I agree with the member that COVID has shown us how women have

been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, but there is also no

doubt that Indigenous, Black and racialized women bear a greater brunt

of systemic racism. We have seen different examples. Just a few weeks

ago a brown woman gave birth in the lobby of Surrey Memorial Hospital

after being denied care three times. I say that it is completely

unacceptable.

Indigenous women make up one of the largest prison populations in

Canada. Visibly Muslim women are far more likely to experience hate than

their counterparts. We know Indigenous and racialized experience unequal

access or poorer outcomes when they or their family members access

government services like health care, justice, policing and other

services. More often than not, we expect the same women to teach us and

lead the way without any compensation or credit. This is unacceptable,

and we need to change that.

I want to take a moment to thank BIPOC women, girls, two-spirit

people and non-binary folks for their unwavering labour for gender

equity. Over the last year, I’ve met so many of these incredible folks

who work day and night pushing for this change. They are passionate, and

I am inspired to see them take their space and demand better from people

in this chamber.

Every time I meet these women and girls, I think about my

daughter’s future, and I’m reminded of this short poem by Punjabi poet

Rupi Kaur: “I stand on the sacrifices of a million women before me,

thinking: ‘What can I do to make this mountain taller so the women after

me can see farther?’”

I’m so proud to say that our government is putting historic

investments into child care — I know my esteemed colleague the member

for Victoria–Beacon Hill will talk more about this — into the transition

house. We know that women are…. Especially over the pandemic, we have

seen gender violence increasing. Historic investments and especially,

really proud to say, the investments that are being made into the sexual

assault services that were cut before…. We are making it right by

putting those very, very important investments.

[11:00 a.m.]

I’m also very proud to say that our government will be introducing

anti-racism data legislation this spring to address systemic and

institutionalized racism. Together, we will use the opportunities before

us to advance equity and everyone’s right to live free from

discrimination and violence.

C. Oakes: I just truly want to thank the member for her words.

For all of the members of this House, I know that we’re all

tireless supporters of trying to create change for the future and for

our daughters. You’ll certainly have my support on the legislation to

end discrimination, because I think that it’s critically important that

we do that.

In that reflection, I would kindly, humbly ask all members of this

House to please consider the legislation that we brought forward and

that my colleague, the member for Surrey South, has introduced — around

the equal-pay reporting. Please, Members, consider the facts. I had the

opportunity, over the last week, to tour a lot of post-secondary

institutions, and it still exists. We know that; we’ve lived that. As

women, we’ve all been in situations where we’ve seen inequal

pay.

I think this is one step that we can take as the House, joined

together, to bring this piece of legislation forward. I think it is

critically important, because when we measure it, it provides the

ability for us to make change. I hope, in good faith, that members of

this House will consider that important piece of legislation that the

member for Surrey South has introduced. I do think transparency in

British Columbia will help move that dial for all of our daughters and

girls in British Columbia and make a considerable difference. I think

it’s critically important.

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

I would also like to note that over the past two years, women have

faced greater job losses. This is particularly due to the fact that

women predominantly work in industries most affected by pandemic

closures and earning losses, such as hospitality, food services, retail,

education, health care, social assistance.

We know that we’re also facing a labour shortage in this province.

According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, 59 percent

of small businesses have reported that they just cannot find enough

staff.

As women enter back into the workforce following the pandemic,

let’s make sure that they have access to equal pay. Let’s make sure that

they have all of the opportunities that we would hope…. Why we come

together in this House is to make sure that for the next generation —

that mountain that the member talked about — all of the future has the

opportunities.

I’m so proud of all of the incredible women who have pursued

higher education in this province, but we’re just not seeing their

educational successes reflected among the higher-level occupations and

careers. Female representation in leadership roles is still limited, and

this government’s efforts to close the gap does not ensure that equal

success of women exists across the economy.

If we want to keep talented female employees in the workforce, we

must address the barriers, and that starts with pay equity. We cannot

expect them to enter or re-enter the workforce and simply accept lesser

pay.

Please, Members, call the bill.

Hon. S. Malcolmson: Hon. Speaker, I ask that the House consider proceeding with

Motion 5 standing in the name of the member for Victoria–Beacon

Hill.

Deputy Speaker: Unanimous consent is required to proceed to Motion 5 without

disturbing the priorities of the motions preceding it on the order

paper. If any member is opposed to this request for leave, please

indicate now.

Leave granted.

Deputy Speaker: The member for Victoria–Beacon Hill to move the motion.

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 5 — INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S

DAY AND FREEDOM FROM

GENDER-BASED DISCRIMINATION

G. Lore: I’m so pleased to move the motion:

[Be it resolved that this House honour International Women’s Day by

reaffirming our commitment to building a world free of gender-based

bias, violence, and discrimination.]

Every day on this job I think about the work left for us to do to

move us towards true gender equity. Today I also want to celebrate. I

want to lift up the work happening in our communities and the progress

we’ve made on the rights of women and girls. I want to start with

something I’m incredibly proud of: funding for sexual assault response

services in 2020 and 2021, for a total of $20 million.

[11:05 a.m.]

In North Vancouver, this means a new Indigenous victim services

worker to provide cultural relevant emergency response. In Kamloops,

support for survivors accessing medical care and options for forensic

exams is now 24-7. In Port Alberni, there’s a brand-new sexual assault

response team. In Burns Lake, a coordinated response to sexual assault

is provided by the nation. Incredible advocates and experts are showing

up for survivors in their community in the way that they need

it.

Let me also be clear that when the Liberals were in power they

funded tax cuts that benefited the wealthiest, by cutting 100 percent of

the funding to women’s centres — centres that were a lifeline for women,

especially in rural areas, centres that provided crisis counselling and

connections to safety for survivors — 100 percent of the funding gone,

under the members opposite, with their new leader at the

table.

At the time, a group made a submission to the United Nations that

the B.C. Liberals were failing to fulfil their obligations under the

convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against

women. Members opposite might want to paint this as ancient history, but

volunteers and advocates have been grinding away, trying to continue to

care for survivors to respond to and prevent violence ever since. I

know; I was one of them.

The cost of sexual assault to a survivor is about $122,000 —

counselling, injury, lost opportunities — yet, under Kevin Falcon, it

was bake sales for survivors, for essential services, and tax cuts for

those earning the most. After 20 years, enough is enough. We are

standing up for and showing up for survivors. In this budget, we are

funding these services like the essential services that they are.

Support accessing health care, justice, wellness — these cannot rely on

unpredictable and insufficient grants. Dedicated and predictable funding

— that’s our record.

I also want to talk about women’s economic independence and their

leadership and contributions. Women now make up nearly half of public

sector boards. Lucky us. We need their expertise and skills. Women make

up seven of the nine board positions at InBC, and their chief investment

officer and CEO are also women, helping grow B.C. companies with an eye

to a triple bottom line. Yet I know that women in our province still

earn less than men, a gender wage gap that is fundamentally also

racialized, larger for Indigenous women, larger for those living with

disabilities and for newcomers in our community.

We have work to do; we aren’t waiting to act. Pay transparency is

part of my mandate letter, and I’m thrilled to work on it with the

Minister of Labour. At the same time, we got rid of the training wage

and the server wage, something designed by the other side that kept

women’s wages down. We are bringing back essential health care workers

into our public system, undoing the other side’s privatization and

erosion of wages and security for jobs disproportionately held by

racialized women.

We’ve dedicated resources to increasing opportunities in trades

and tech and more, to say nothing of our child care investments and, of

course, the ECE wage supplement, addressing the gender gap and properly

compensating those who look after our kids.

While the new leader of the Liberal Party was in power, sections

of the B.C. human rights code that prohibited paying women less were

repealed, to say nothing of the impact of their tax cuts — tax cuts that

widened real income gaps. In 2001, men were four times more likely to be

benefiting from the biggest tax cuts than women were. To be fair, they

may not have noticed. They literally deleted any reference to using a

gendered lens to understand policy.

We’ve ensured that gender-based analysis plus is central to all

the work we’re doing, including submissions to cabinet and training for

intersectional, gendered analysis in the public service. Every day I

work with my colleagues in every single ministry to move us forward to

equity, to safety, to opportunity, every day — so much so that, I think,

one lovingly called me relentless.

Yes, I support this motion. Because it often needs to be

explicitly said, I stand here to say trans women are, unequivocally,

women.

S. Bond: I can’t begin to tell you how surprised I am by the approach the

member chose to take when we’re talking about the role of

women.

[11:10 a.m.]

I would just like to make it clear to the member opposite that our

government actually provided $70 million every single year in prevention

and intervention services for victims of domestic violence and other

crimes. So to suggest that we did nothing is completely

inaccurate.

I’d also like to say to the member that the more often they

mention the new leader of our party’s name…. I would like to remind the

member that he is a loving dad to two small daughters. He works for

foundations across British Columbia, including the Streetohome

Foundation supporting people who are homeless in British Columbia. Maybe

they’d want to present a more appropriate picture. Sadly, no. This

member decided to continue to look backwards when what they actually

have the opportunity to do today is call a bill that we have tabled

numerous times in this Legislature.

Let’s be clear. Despite the progress that we have made toward

gender equality over the last 30 years — including increasing social

equity, higher rates of reporting sexual assault and other forms of

violence — sexism, discrimination and gender-based violence remain far

too prevalent in our world. It continues to exist here in Canada and in

British Columbia.

Women in Canada still make less money than men on average. B.C.,

under this government’s watch, remains the worst gender pay gap in

Canada, with women in our province making an average of 20 percent less

an hour than men.

In 2018, almost one in three women — 32 percent — 15 years of age

and older felt unsafe or uncomfortable as a result of unwanted sexual

behaviour they experienced. Women continue to experience intimate

partner violence at far higher rates than men, with almost eight in ten

victims of police-reported intimate partner violence being

female.

In our conversations about gender equality, we also have to

recognize that all women do not experience gender-based violence and

discrimination at the same rate. Indigenous women and girls face

increased vulnerability to gender-based violence as a result of specific

barriers to safety. They report experiencing violence at a rate 2.7

times higher than non-Indigenous women and girls. Persons with

disabilities are also at a higher risk of facing sexual violence and

deal with additional challenges due to stereotyping and

discrimination.

These are staggering and upsetting statistics. They clearly

demonstrate the continued need for action from all of us who work in

this chamber and in our daily lives to further equality and fight

sexism, misogyny and discrimination in all of its forms.

This year’s International Women’s Day campaign theme is

#BreakTheBias. It not only speaks to the many outright examples of

misogyny and violence against women — the things that we immediately

think of when considering gender equality in our world — but also the

less obvious stereotypes and unconscious biases that continue to have

damaging effects on women.

A poll in 2020 found that 20 percent of B.C. women who were

surveyed reported being the subject of sexist jokes, 20 percent reported

being treated unfairly in the workplace, and 17 percent reported being

mocked or ridiculed. Why? Because of their gender. More than one in ten

felt they lost a potential employment opportunity only because they are

women.

Additional responsibility falls on decision-makers and leaders,

and that includes the current government. Promises have been made to

take active steps that would bring much-needed change, including

affordable $10-a-day daycare, free contraceptives and making sure people

can afford to buy a home or rent. All of those things make a difference.

Legislation like my colleague the member for Surrey South has introduced

numerous times in this House, only to be continually ignored by this

government….

Together we must break down these barriers so that all women have

the chance to reach their full potential. Knowing that bias exists

simply isn’t enough. All of us need to take specific actions to break

the bias and level the playing field. That includes that when you make a

promise, you need to keep it, especially when it comes to the promises

this government has made related to affordability and making sure

there’s affordable childcare. The list goes on.

[11:15 a.m.]

J. Brar: I am pleased to support the motion introduced by the member for

Victoria–Beacon Hill: “…that this House honour International Women’s Day

by reaffirming our commitment to building a world free of gender-based

bias, violence, and discrimination.”

This is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural

and political achievements of women. The International Women’s Day 2022

campaign theme is #BreakTheBias, because women continue to face

gender-based bias, violence and discrimination.

In the Canadian General Social Survey , in 2014, women

were more than seven times more likely to report sexual assault than

men. Over 50 percent of women in B.C. have experienced physical and

sexual violence since the age of 16. That is more than 1 million women

in our province. In B.C., there are over 1,000 physical or sexual

assaults against women every week. The list goes on.

I’m a bit surprised to listen to the members from the other side

and their interest in women’s equality. For 16 years B.C. Liberals cut

programs and services designed to help women facing gender-based bias,

violence and discrimination. They scrapped pay equity legislation and

the Human Rights Tribunal and eliminated the Ministry of Women’s

Equality. B.C. Liberals cut welfare rates for single moms and made them

go back to work when their kids turned three. They eliminated funding

for B.C.’s 37 women’s centres dedicated to help rape and domestic

violence victims, and the list goes on.

The B.C. Liberals’ cuts to these programs, combined with a couple

of years of pandemic, have impacted the lives of women in B.C. really

hard. Women were disproportionately affected by the economic challenges

of the pandemic.

Our government is fixing the damage done by the B.C. Liberals. Our

ongoing recovery from the pandemic and climate-related disasters must be

rooted in equity, where opportunities are available to all people

regardless of their gender, ethnicity or other parts of their identity.

We are opening doors for women to pursue their dreams and bring down

barriers for women in trades, technology and other non-traditional roles

with employment and skilled training programs.

More women than ever will have a safe place to go as we move

forward with major investments in transition homes for women and

children fleeing violence — new, affordable homes in every part of the

province. We are moving forward with plans to introduce pay transparency

legislation, a first in B.C. Our Budget 2022 is supporting survival of

sexual assault by providing core funding for more than 50 sexual assault

service centres, undoing cuts that were made to these services by B.C.

Liberals in 2002.

Our government is fully committed to providing affordable,

accessible, quality child care to ensure that families, especially

women, can participate in the workforce. Since 2018, government has

funded more than 26,000 new licensed child care spaces, the fastest

space creation in B.C.’s history. In addition, we are delivering 30,000

new spaces for children under the age of six within five years and

40,000 within seven years under the new agreement with the federal

government. Budget 2022 brings B.C. closer than ever to government’s

planned $10-a-day child care.

We are investing $3.2 billion in this budget cycle to improve

wages, working conditions, job security and stability for thousands of

service workers, the majority of whom are racialized women. Together we

will use the opportunity before us to advance equality and everyone’s

right to live free from discrimination and violence to build a better

future for women, girls, two-spirit and non-binary people in British

Columbia. Therefore, I fully support this motion.

[11:20 a.m.]

M. Lee: I, too, wish to join this discussion of some sort this morning

relating to marking and celebrating International Women’s Day, which is

intended, of course, to celebrate all the incredible women and

gender-diverse people around the world, including in this wonderful

province of ours. So certainly I rise to support the motion that

reaffirms the commitment of this House to building a world free of

gender-based bias, violence and discrimination.

Only in this chamber, on the day before we celebrate International

Women’s Day, do the members opposite decide to use this for political

purposes, to grandstand about what has happened under their watch or not

happened. That’s not what this is about. We’re talking about

gender-based bias and discrimination, the equal pay reporting

legislation, the private member’s bill that the member for Surrey South

has brought in this House, on this floor, repeatedly, session after

session after session.

I’m faced here by the members opposite pontificating about how

they believe in the equal rights of women in our province, yet they’ve

denied bringing that bill on the floor of this House

repeatedly.

The member for Cariboo North has spent ten minutes in this House

talking about the importance of that bill, and on this day, the day

before the recognition of women’s equality and bias and discrimination,

the members from the other side have the gall to talk about politics.

We’ve been looking at British Columbia being one of the few remaining

provinces in this country not to have this equal pay reporting

mechanism. We need greater transparency, but we know, of course, that we

cannot expect that from the members opposite. They don’t believe in

transparency.

Transparency provides the light to understand the discrepancy

between what men and women are paid in this province. It has been a 75

percent gap, 25 percent. It’s 75 cents on the dollar that women are

being paid for every dollar that a man earns in this province. We know

that women should not be undervalued.

Interjections.

Deputy Speaker: Members.

Member.

M. Lee: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Their skills should not be underutilized.

When I look at…. In my days of law, for example, for ten years,

we’ve been looking at greater transparency around public company

boardrooms. We encourage women to be part of those boardrooms. We know

that over ten years, the reporting that has come out — even this year —

has indicated that it has now actually increased, that transparency does

matter, that shedding the light on the discrepancy between what women

are paid in this province versus men is very important.

We have an opportunity to do that. So we need this government to

call the bill that the member for Surrey South has put on the floor of

this House. I hope that with all of the pontification we’re hearing this

morning, all of the virtue signalling and all of that that we hear, this

government will actually stand by its comments and actually do something

about this. It’s far time that that occurs.

We have a role to play. It’s not just the women in this House;

it’s the men in this House. Under this Premier of this province, we know

what he’s said in the past. We don’t have to repeat that all here in

this chamber right now. But the fact of the matter is that if he

believes in the equality of women in this province, he will ensure that

the House Leader for the government calls that bill in this session,

because this is the time to be doing that. We know that we have to look

at the future of women.

When I was visiting at the University of British Columbia campus

with the member for Cariboo North and with other members of our caucus,

even this last week, we know that women on that campus….

[11:25 a.m.]

As we talk about ensuring that we bridge the science gap and

ensure that young women are coming into the science and technology

field, what future do they have when they still face a gap in pay? So I

hope that this government will call that bill.

H. Yao: I rise today to support the motion presented by the member for

Victoria–Beacon Hill: “Be it resolved that this House honour

International Women’s Day by reaffirming our commitment to building a

world free of gender-based bias, violence, and

discrimination.”

International Women’s Day marks a call for action and a need to

advocate for women’s equality. I’d like to start by sharing one of my

personal experiences.

While working as a youth worker, I had an interesting learning

opportunity with my previous manager. I watched her going over pages and

pages of stock photos as she was trying to design a youth leadership

program brochure. She asked for my opinion, and due to my life

experience, I made a few suggestions that were quickly rejected by her.

Confused and intrigued, I asked her what exactly she was looking for.

She enlightened me by explaining her perspective.

According to her, youth often have an easier time imagining

themselves in various leadership opportunities when the examples of

leadership profiles reflects diverse characteristics in youth,

characteristics such as ethnicity, gender, style and interest. When they

can see themselves in opportunities suggested by us, they are more

likely to believe in the possibilities.

Women make up more than 50 percent of our government MLAs, and, in

addition, almost 50 percent of government ministers are women. When

young women and girls look at our government, they see leadership which

reflects them. It helps them to envision the future, where they can

serve in fulfilling a leadership role in the government. When my

daughter gets older, I, too, hope she will find inspiration to imagine

the future filled with opportunities, successes and all possibilities.

I, like many fathers around the world, will fight with every ounce of my

strength to raise my daughter in a fair, safe and nurturing environment

so they can pursue their dreams and happiness.

Unfortunately, the pandemic exposed some of the disadvantages

experienced by women and children in our society, and there was a

significant increase in gender-based violence during the crisis.

Indigenous women, women of colour, immigrant women and women with

disabilities have disproportionately experienced gender-based

harassment, violence and discrimination. That’s why, in Budget 2022, the

provincial government is supporting survivors by providing core funding

to more than 50 sexual assault service centres that provide critical

crisis response, cancelling the mechanism to refer to the police and

child protection services.

Women are also disproportionately affected by economic challenges

and carrying out fair expectation for domestic responsibilities and

caregiving. Our government’s investment in child care will help parents,

especially women, in building good lives for their family while pursuing

their careers. We’re committing to deliver 30,000 new spaces for

children under the age of six within five years and 40,000 within seven

years. And we’re creating more before- and after-school spaces and

reduce fees for full-day infant and toddler care by 50 percent, to an

average of $20 a day by the end of 2022.

We are also opening doors for women to pursue their dreams and

bringing down barriers for women in trades, tech and other

non-traditional roles with employment and skills-training initiatives.

Budget 2022 invests $3.2 billion in additional funding over the fiscal

plan to improve health care services people rely on, including by

improving wages, working conditions, job security and stability for

thousands of supportive service workers — of whom the majority are

racialized women.

We’re moving forward with plans to introduce pay transparency

legislation, a first in B.C. Investing in women is vital to end poverty,

boost economic growth, strengthen equity, equality and fairness, and

truly tapping into the unutilized, full potential of British Columbians.

When we promote true equality, including equal pay for equal work, we

all stand to benefit.

I also want to encourage all men to rally together and support

mothers, sisters, daughters, cousins, families, friends and fellow

Canadians who identify themselves as female. Toxic masculinity can rob

our loved ones of happiness. It can further harm us by denying our right

for self-acceptance and genuine relationships. Toxic masculinity breeds

harmful expectations and limits realization of everyone’s capacity to

love.

[11:30 a.m.]

Therefore, let us learn, listen and understand the challenges

faced by women and girls today so we can offer our allyship according to

their perspectives and leadership.

Let us cure the toxic masculinity of society by supporting women’s

and girls’ rights for self-determination. Together, we can have

healthier relationships, families, communities and economic

recovery.

G. Kyllo: Today it’s truly an honour to rise and speak to this very

important motion: “Be it resolved that this House honour International

Women’s Day by reaffirming our commitment to building a world free of

gender-based bias, violence, and discrimination.”

This is an issue that we should all care deeply about, not only

because of the women in our lives. I certainly have a significant number

of women who have had a significant impact in my life. I have got four

amazing, strong, caring and compassionate daughters. I’ve got six

granddaughters. If we all think even just about our mothers and our

grandmothers and the very important role that they’ve all played in our

lives, the very least we can do is show them the respect and bring

forward the piece of legislation, the private member’s bill that the

member for Surrey South brought forward with respect to equal-pay

legislation.

As has been spoken about here in the House, it is extremely

important that we shed a light on the inequity of pay, the disparity in

pay between women and men in our lives and our workforce that are

actually doing the same job. This is extremely important. It’s very

disappointing to hear members of the government side of the House not

only taking the time and the delay in bringing forward this important

piece of legislation but also with some of their commentary around the

disrespect for B.C. Liberal members and the work that has been done

previously in supporting women in this province.

By 2017, government had already committed more than $70 million

per year in the prevention and intervention of services and programs

that benefit victims of domestic violence and other crimes. This

included supports to more than 160 police-based and community-based

victim services programs and around 250 programs that provide

counselling and outreach services to women fleeing violence in their

relationships and children who witness abuse.

All members of this House are concerned and show their support for

women, but unfortunately, it’s the members of the government that are

trying to play politics and trying to cast aspersions about the work

that members of this Legislature have actually done over a significant

number of years. Now, it’s important to respect that we care about all

people. They deserve basic human rights, equal opportunity, equal

treatment and respect. Whether it is in our households, our workplaces

or our communities, it’s incumbent on all of us to not only celebrate

the women in our lives but to take some time to reflect on how we can

make their lives better and on how we treat each other.

I look around this room, and I see all of the accomplished women

before me. That is great to see. Encouraging. In the nearly ten years

that I’ve served as an MLA, it’s been normal to see this many women in

the chamber, but as we know, that has not always been the case. In my

career in business before I entered the world of politics, I was also

inspired by the many women and staff, some of them my own family

members, that I had the privilege of working with.

It’s one thing to get women to the table. We also need to reflect

on how we support them and how we make them feel once they work

alongside us. Are we paying them the same as their male counterparts in

similar positions? Are we empowering them to create a safe space for

them to share their ideas and opinions? Are we open to receiving and

acting on those ideas and opinions? Are we acknowledging the reality

that women continue to disproportionately feel the impacts of the

COVID-19 pandemic from job losses to juggling work and child care

duties, to additional caregiving responsibilities, and are we doing

anything about it?

This is where we as provincial representatives can do some work.

The official opposition continues to press government for a jobs plan

that focuses on some of the key groups, including women who have

suffered pandemic job losses, particularly full-time jobs and reduced

shifts. We also continue to urge the government to make good on its

child care commitments to families. The $10-a-day child care was a

promise, and that’s what should be delivered upon.

[11:35 a.m.]

Right now the infants whose care was supposed to cost $10 a day in

this government’s first year of office are gearing up for kindergarten

now. It’s been five years. Not only is this timeline off target, but the

government is now talking about an average of $20 a day, not $10.

Parents are left confused and disappointed — that is, if they can find a

daycare spot at all.

What about pay equity? We have a straightforward private member’s

bill that’s been put forward a number of times by my colleague the

member for Surrey South, yet there’s been no desire by this government

to even call the bill for debate, much less take any action on this

important issue.

Hon. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the good idea from the member

for Surrey South. I encourage members to bring it forward for debate in

this legislative session.

Deputy Speaker: Just a reminder that we’re not to use electronic devices when we

are holding possession of the floor, Member. Thank you.

B. Bailey: I rise to speak to the motion: “Be it resolved that this House

honour International Women’s Day by reaffirming our commitment to

building a world free of gender-based bias, violence, and

discrimination.”

Like so many British Columbians from all walks of life and

ethnicities, I spent much of my weekend at peace rallies in support of

the people of Ukraine. The war in Ukraine has drawn much attention, but

let us not forget that war has, in fact, been on the increase worldwide

since the end of World War II.

Today more than half of the world’s women and children are living

in countries experiencing active conflict. The international community

cannot continue to ignore their plight, says Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta,

co-author of an examination of the human cost of modern warfare

published in The Lancet in 2020. According to her work, in 2019

there were 54 state-based armed conflicts that had lasted 20 years or

more.

Those who study war have devoted much work to a gendered analysis

of the effects of conflict, and while it is of course true that in

taking up arms, men bear the brunt of war, it is also true that war has

a unique and horrific effect on women and children too. Existing

inequalities are magnified and social networks break down, making women

more vulnerable to sexual violence and exploitation.

Feminist scholars point to a gender division of war. Research by

Mary Caprioli demonstrates that domestic gender equality is associated

with more peaceful state behaviour, both internationally and

domestically. Valerie Hudson and others advance a women-and-peace

thesis, arguing that societies that experience higher levels of

gender-based violence within households are more likely to engage in

violent group interactions. The researchers identified a strong link

between women’s physical security and measures of state

peacefulness.

Reaffirming our commitment to building a world free of gender

bias, violence and discrimination is not only a call to action for peace

within our homes, our communities, our cities and our province but

within our nations as well. In modern Ukraine, women have made great

strides in society and have been essential to sustaining democracy

there, not just through their military service but in politics as well.

According to an

article by Lauren Leader, women held 21 percent of the

seats in the Ukrainian Parliament after the most recent elections, and

according to the Global Gender Gap Report, the country has made huge

strides towards closing an array of gender gaps in recent

years.

Ukraine stands in sharp contrast with Russia under Putin. He has

steadily rolled back women’s rights there, restricting women from

working in more than 450 professions and rolling back protections for

victims of domestic violence.

Since the invasion, untold numbers of Ukrainian women from all

walks of life have stepped forward and volunteered to serve on the front

lines, and Ukrainian women are already showing the difference they make

in terms of both might and morale. Women on the front lines, both in and

out of uniform, have confronted Russian soldiers, forcing them to call

their mothers and explain why they are fighting.

These simple acts of humanizing conflict, involving mothers, may

prove profoundly valuable to the war effort. Some Russian mothers on the

other end of the phone are imploring their sons to walk away, which

could weaken Russian military resolve.

Research indicates that worldwide, where women have played a

central role in the fight of democracy over tyranny, democracy has been

more likely to prevail. While the outcomes of the war in Ukraine are

unknown, there is no lack of certainty of the courage and commitment of

Ukrainian women to democracy and peace.

[11:40 a.m.]

This International Women’s Day, please join me in learning more

about our sisters living in conflict: in the civil wars in Afghanistan,

Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Syria and Yemen; in the terrorist

insurgencies in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, Congo,

Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria and Tanzania; in the drug wars in Colombia

and Mexico; in the political unrest in Iraq; in the ethnic violence in

South Sudan; in the Ukraine; and in all other places facing

conflict.

T. Wat: I’m honoured to stand and speak on the motion, but before I go on

my prepared remarks, I really have to join all the colleagues on this

side of the House to call on this government.

If they are really sincere in their motion today — “Be it resolved

that this House honour International Women’s Day by reaffirming our

commitment to building a world free of gender-based bias, violence, and

discrimination” — why is this government not presenting, not bringing,

the private member’s bill introduced by the member for Surrey South so

many times for the debate?

Instead, I am truly disappointed that on the eve of International

Women’s Day, a woman member from this House used the opportunity to be

so political. I fail to understand that. I’m so ashamed of

it.

It always breaks my heart to hear how many of the women here today

have faced barriers, discrimination and fear in their journey to where

they are today, simply because of their gender. I would like to use my

time today to share my own experiences. My own journey here hasn’t been

easy.

As a young woman growing up in Hong Kong, who went abroad to earn

a higher education, I do remember how many times I felt like an outsider

in a world that tried to convince me more than once that higher

education, the working world and even politics were no place for a

Chinese woman.

Women of all backgrounds continue to face these challenges in the

workplace every day but continue to carry out the incredible work they

do to support our people and communities — especially our health care

and front-line workers. That’s the day that we should recognize their

contribution, not politicking.

When my mother was diagnosed with COVID a few weeks ago, it was

thanks to the incredible staff of nurses and caretakers at the SUCCESS

Simon Lee long-term-care centre in Vancouver’s Chinatown that she

recovered after only a few days. Nobody talks about this.

I’m always so inspired by my own daughter, who, like so many

women, has worked tirelessly to support her family and raise two sons —

soon to be three — while pursuing a career in the tourism industry. I

was glad to find out, over the weekend, that my third grandchild is a

girl — welcoming another woman to this world. [Applause.] Thank

you.

Women face challenges in the workplace every day. But the thing

that pains me the most is reflecting on the fact that the challenges for

women don’t end in school or the workplace or even in this Legislature.

In fact, they are only the beginning.

Every day women are reminded of how unsafe and unwelcoming the

world can be towards them. Women make up a disproportionate number of

assaults in B.C., largely because of the perception that we are more

vulnerable and easier to prey on. Women live with the fear of walking

alone or walking in strange places, which men simply don’t experience. I

have the same kind of fear when I walk in Chinatown every week, when I

go to visit my mom.

[11:45 a.m.]

I stand in this House and tell this story of woman who lives in

Terra Nova, in my riding of Richmond North Centre. For almost two years,

Koszima Mair has been living in fear of a random stalker who, despite

being jailed and ordered to steer clear, just keeps coming back to haunt

her. The last 22 months have taken their toll on Mair, who says she has

no choice now but to leave my riding and the city that she

loves.

Mounties in Richmond are investigating after a 13-year-old girl

was approached by a suspicious man who offered her a ride and money in

Steveston last Wednesday.

I see I’m running out of time.

I want to emphasize, once again, that the NDP is providing $22

million over three years for victims of sexual assault, but this action

builds on the work of our previous government, which provided $17

million per year in prevention and intervention services for victims of

domestic violence and other crimes.

M. Starchuk: International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating social,

economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also

calls to action for accelerating women’s equality.

International Women’s Day occurred well over a century ago, with

the first International Women’s Day gathering in 1911 supported by over

one million people. Today International Women’s Day belongs to all

groups, collectively, everywhere.

International Women’s Day is not country-, group- or

organization-specific. International Women’s Day sees a number of

exciting and important missions aimed at raising greater awareness about

the issues impacting women’s equality, taking a stance to call out

inequality while working to forge positive action, highlighting and

applauding where important gains are being made, and celebrating women’s

achievements and accomplishments.

I could not continue without recognition of some important women

in my life. Without a doubt, my mother gets the number one billing. She

raised me alone in my teenage years, and I’m sure my life would be

different if it wasn’t for her. Four years ago, she gave me a lesson in

happiness, and she can take some of the credit right now for that smile

or smirk that’s on my face.

My daughter is one of those strong-willed people on the planet who

didn’t just stop at go and collect $200. She is forward-thinking, with

her family and career as priorities in a well-balanced life. We know

there are challenges in raising a family, and there isn’t one book just

to teach us how to be a great parent. I’m sure if Shannon had the time,

she could write a great bestseller called “Parenting 101”.

My partner is one of the highest-ranking firefighters in the

province of B.C. Sandra’s rank of deputy fire chief — which, by the way,

is two more gold stripes than I was ever able to achieve — is doing

this, and it shows that her drive, dedication and ambition in a

male-dominated profession is top of the pile. She gets similar credit

right now, as my mother did, for the smirk or the smile I have on my

face.

When my daughter was in grade 12, there was a work-and-learn

program in the high schools. Imagine the conversations when she realized

that she was making less than some of those who were already receiving

minimum wage. She was doing the same job as some of her co-workers, but

she was getting the training wage the government created. I’m pleased

that government eliminated the discriminatory wage category, which

affected many women. I’m also happy, when speaking to the minimum wage,

that B.C. has raised their minimum wage, making it the second highest in

the country.

This year there will be a focused engagement by the province in

order to deliver a multi-year, cross-sector gender-based-violence action

plan that will build on the initiatives underway and support the

development of cross-government actions to address gender-based

violence. This action plan will serve as a road map to guide the

government’s approach to addressing gender-based violence in a way

that’s comprehensive and effective. This action plan includes minimum

standards for sexual assault response; more training for police, Crown

counsel and justices; and establishing core funding for sexual assault

services.

The 2022-23 budget announced new annual and predictable funding

for community-based sexual assault response services. This will provide

victim-centred, trauma-​informed support to help survivors of

sexual assault on the long road to healing.

DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society in Surrey is developing It

Happens Here Too, a coordinated culturally responsive emergency sexual

assault service for recent newcomers project.

[11:50 a.m.]

This new sexual assault response service will provide a

coordinated cultural response emergency sexual assault service hub for

recent newcomer survivors of any immigration group in Surrey to prevent

retraumatization and foster increased reporting in post-traumatic growth

for their successful settlement and journey in Canada. Services to be

provided include case management of coordination of services for

survivors and information sharing, cross-training of project partners,

community outreach, protocol development and third-party reporting, and

a web portal for survivors to access in a virtual, multilingual service

hub.

I often reflect on the words of John Lennon: “Imagine all the

people.” Imagine a gender-equal world. Imagine a world free of bias,

stereotypes and discrimination, a world that is diverse, equitable and

inclusive, a world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together

we can forge women’s equality. Collectively, we can all — and when I say

all, that is everyone here — break the bias.

R. Merrifield: How do you build this world, a world free of gender-based bias,

violence and discrimination?

I’m proud to sit among my B.C. Liberal colleagues, who together

had one of the highest numbers of ministers who were females and highest

level of diversity at that time; who also created the single-parent

employment initiative and got over 3,000 single parents back to work;

who also created the Premier’s Women’s Economic Council, a council of

women who put a diversity lens on each and every policy that came

through this House; and who inspired the next generations with We For

She. Even now I am so proud to sit on this side of the House, because

even now in opposition, we are bringing forward bills that will help to

advance women.

How do you build this world? You empower women. The famous

American author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, said: “Women really do build

society. They build not only themselves but a whole community.” But we

have work to do, because women and women entrepreneurs have fallen

behind under this NDP government. Allow me to explain.

When I was the Canadian delegate to the United Nations in 2015, it

was a privilege to meet with delegations from all over the world and

hear firsthand their needs in helping female entrepreneurs in their

communities. Hearing about countries where women couldn’t walk on roads

unaccompanied or where women still could not own property was almost

surreal. When I speak of property, I’m talking about rickshaws to get

their goods to market, not ranches.

Then I thought about Canada and how far we’ve come. Back in the

late 1940s, my grandmother lost her farm because she couldn’t get a loan

after her husband died. Despite having six kids and running the farm

successfully for two years while her husband’s illness took his life,

she ended up having to leave the farm and move into town to take a job

working in a retirement home to support her kids.

Fast-forward to the year before I was born, and the Equal Credit

Opportunity Act was enacted in the mid-’70s in the U.S., which made it

unlawful to discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion,

national origin, sex, marital status or age.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Canada took a bit longer to have anything in law and waited until

the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into being in 1982 to

ratify the same type of equity. But I still could not have the companies

I have today without those laws.

Is there still bias? Absolutely. Allow me to explain. Women-owned

companies and private technology companies led by women are more capital

efficient, achieving 35 percent higher returns on investment and, when

venture-backed, 12 percent higher revenue than start-ups run by men.

Another study of over 350 start-ups determined that businesses founded

by women deliver higher revenue — more than twice as much per dollar

invested — than those founded by men, making women-owned companies

better investments for financial backers.

Here’s where we see the bias. Despite these incredible statistics,

women-owned start-ups are still approved for fewer loans applied for,

have less venture capital, less access to professional networks and

mentorship, and still fight cultural stereotypes.

[11:55 a.m.]

We have a long way to go, and COVID-19 just gave us farther. Why?

Because women entrepreneurs were hit harder than their male counterparts

by COVID-19. They exited their businesses and workplaces in greater

numbers and had to lay off more staff, losing momentum.

This NDP government failed women entrepreneurs, as they qualified

less for financial helps, despite the previous statistics that I gave.

This House needs to stand up and continue the work of empowering women

entrepreneurs.

We need to fund in greater number, through grant and loan models,

and make it more attractive for venture capitalists to fund women-owned

start-ups. We also need to continue to change societal norms through

affordable and accessible child care education opportunities, free

contraception and fertility treatments, as they all aid in gender

equality. All of these have been promises broken by this NDP

government.

Yes, we celebrate International Women’s Day because of brave women

that stood up in 1908 and the women that stood up in the ’70s to

continue fighting. Despite how far we have come, when I marched in 2019

in New York City, I still felt like I was marching for every young woman

that was going to come behind me.

I know that there is so much more work to be done. I know my

grandmother, if she were alive today, would be proud. But she would also

tell me to keep going until we are all equal.

J. Routledge: I rise to speak in favour of the motion: “Be it resolved that this

House honour International Women’s Day by reaffirming our commitment to

building a world free of gender-based bias, violence, and

discrimination.” While I want to thank previous speakers for celebrating

our hard-won victories, clearly we all agree that there’s much more that

needs to be done to close the equity gap.

I want to expand on one particular path to equality, and that’s

the presence of women in political decision-making bodies. I’m going to

make the case that to redress long-standing gender inequities and

injustices, the voices, experiences and expertise of women must be

central to political decision-making and women must be present as

decision-makers in our political institutions. Or to put it another way,

if you’re not at the table, then you’re probably on the menu.

Are women sufficiently present in our political institutions?

Well, let’s take a look, starting with the House of Commons in Ottawa.

The population of Canada is a little more than 50 percent women, so if

women were represented equally in the House of Commons, we would expect

half of the MPs to be women. Currently, only 30.5 percent of those seats

are held by women, and Canada ranks only 52nd in the world when it comes

to equitable representation in our political institutions.

What about B.C.? The population of B.C. is also a little more than

50 percent women, so we would expect that 50 percent of the seats in

this chamber would be held by women. A record 37 women were elected in

the most recent election; 42.5 percent of the seats in the B.C.

Legislature are currently held by women, the most women and the largest

percentage of women elected in B.C. history.

I want to point out that 29 of the 37 of those women elected ran

as B.C. NDP candidates. In fact, women hold the majority of seats in our

caucus. For the first time ever in North America, there are more women

than men in the governing caucus.

Now, how did that happen? Not by chance. Our party has an equity

mandate that specifies that when a B.C. NDP woman MLA chooses not to run

for re-election, only another woman can run in her place.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, please.

J. Routledge: Our party’s women and gender rights committee works with

constituency associations between elections to recruit and support women

candidates. We fundraise to help women candidates pay for child care,

campaign clothing and other necessities that level the playing

field.

Equality isn’t just about numbers. It’s also about the experience.

As one woman colleague put it: “Just because we’re in the majority now,

that doesn’t make us equal.”

[12:00 p.m.]

To achieve substantive gender equality in the Legislature, we must

take a hard look at our customs, traditions, structures and procedures

and ask if they are unwelcoming to women and other outsiders, undervalue

our contributions and make it unnecessarily hard to do our

jobs.

I’m the chair of the British Columbia branch of Commonwealth Women

Parliamentarians. CWP develops and implements programs to encourage and

support more women to run for office, to identify the barriers that

discourage us from running and to recommend ways to overcome those

barriers. Our secretariat in London, England, has prepared a set of

gender-sensitizing guidelines, standards and a checklist for

parliamentary change. Some parliaments in other countries have already

conducted gender audits, made changes and are increasing the

participation of women as a result.

I’m proud to say that in 2020, the B.C. Legislature conducted the

first step in a gender audit, and now four other jurisdictions in Canada

are following suit. The next step is to conduct a more in-depth

investigation. It will ask questions such as: are there unwritten

traditions, norms, codes and rituals that would exclude outsiders? Are

children welcome and cared for? Are parents able to participate

virtually or by proxy? Does the definition of “unparliamentary language”

explicitly include sexism and gendered bullying? Are women represented

in parliamentary leadership bodies? And so on.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, there is a growing body of research that shows

that a culture of heckling tends to drive out women

parliamentarians.

In conclusion, women on both sides of the aisle in this chamber

have a history of working together to promote gender equality. I hope we

can continue to work together to make this institution more welcoming to

women.

J. Routledge moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. S. Malcolmson moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 p.m. this

afternoon.

The House adjourned at 12:02 p.m.

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